Special Needs BasicCare (SNBC) for people with disabilities

Special Needs BasicCare (SNBC) health plans work hard to help you achieve your personal health goals and believe that every member has the right to the best health possible.

SNBC is a voluntary managed care program for people with disabilities who are 18-64 years old and have Medical Assistance (MA). In SNBC, members may have a care coordinator or navigator to help them get health care and support services.

If you have MA and are eligible for but not enrolled in SNBC, we will send you a letter (PDF) asking you to either:

Choose an SNBC health plan
Tell us you want to opt out of the program and keep your MA fee-for-service coverage

The SNBC Health Plan Coverage brochure (DHS-6301) (PDF) provides an overview of the program and answers frequently asked questions. SNBC is administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and health plans under contract. It is available statewide, but the health plan choices vary by county.

Stakeholders: For information about upcoming public meetings, see the Special Needs Purchasing Public Meetings page.

What's new?
Special Needs BasicCare plan comparison directory
SNBC initiatives

SNBC dental access improvement project

The DHS Special Needs Purchasing Division is working with the SNBC health plans and the DHS Direct Care and Treatment community dental clinics (DCT-DC) to improve access to dental services for SNBC members. The focus of the project is on dental interventions aimed at improving access to services for SNBC members. More information about this project can be found on the SNBC Dental Access Improvement Project webpage.

For updates on the dental access improvement project, see the presentation from the stakeholders meeting held on Sept. 10, 2018.
Members who turn 65 years old
SNBC members are disenrolled from SNBC when they turn 65 years old. Members with a birthdate on the first of the month will be disenrolled from SNBC on the last day of the month before they turn age 65. All other members will be disenrolled from SNBC on the last day of the month they turn age 65.
- You will be enrolled in a Minnesota Senior Care Plus (MSC+) health plan for your MA if you are eligible.
- If you have both Medicare and MA, you can also choose to enroll in Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO), a managed care program that combines your Medicare and MA into one health plan.
- If you are unable to enroll in a senior managed care plan, you will get your MA as fee-for-service coverage.
You will get a letter 90 days before your 65th birthday to let you know of the change in your health plan options. If you will be turning 65 years old, you can call the Senior LinkAge Line® at 800-333-2433 for help with your health plan questions.
What should I consider when choosing an SNBC health plan?
The Guide to SNBC enrollment (PDF) has information about benefits and things to think about when choosing a health plan. Here are some key steps:
1. Find out which plans are available in the county where you live. See our map of SNBC health plans by county (PDF).
2. Check those health plans' provider network listings using the links to see whether you can keep your same providers or find other providers who you would see.
Who can enroll in SNBC?
Generally, the program is open to people who are all of the following:
- Enrolled in MA and do not have a spenddown at the time of SNBC enrollment
- Certified blind or disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or the State Medical Review Team (SMRT) or certified disabled by their county or tribal office for the Developmental Disabilities Waiver program
- Between 18 and 64 years old, with or without Medicare
Some people are not eligible, including some noncitizens, people who have certain types of other health insurance, people living in a regional treatment center at the time of enrollment and others. You can call the Disability Hub MN at 866-333-2466 or one of the SNBC health plans to learn more.

Please note:
- If you are required to pay an MA spenddown after you enroll in SNBC, you can stay in the program.
- If you have Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD), you must still pay that premium to maintain your MA eligibility.
- When you are 65 years old, you will be disenrolled from SNBC. You must then enroll in a senior managed care plan if eligible. If you are not eligible to enroll in a senior managed care plan, you will get your MA as fee-for-service coverage.
What is covered by SNBC?
SNBC’s comprehensive coverage provides a range of services that you might need. The following is a summary of the types of covered health care services. Some health plans may offer some additional benefits, such as a gym membership. You can also review the comparison of services provided by SNBC health plans in the Managed Care for People with Disabilities Health Plan Grid (DHS-5567A) (PDF).
- Acupuncture services
- Adult mental health rehab services including crisis services, assertive community treatment (ACT), adult rehabilitative mental health services (ARMHS) and intensive residential treatment services (IRTS)
- Advanced practice nurse services
- Behavioral health home
- Cancer clinical trials
- Care management services (acute medical)
- Certified community behavioral health clinic
- Chemical dependency treatment
- Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) program services
- Children’s residential mental health treatment
- Chiropractic services
- Clinic services
- Community health worker services
- Community paramedic services
- Dental services
- Disease management
- Early intensive development and behavioral intervention (EIDBI) services
- Family planning services
- Health care home services
- Home health care, specifically home health aide (HHA) services, skilled nurse visits (SNV), and home care therapies (physical therapy [PT], occupational therapy [OT], respiratory therapy [RT] and speech therapy [ST])
- Hospice services
- Inpatient hospital services
- Interpreter services
- Laboratory, diagnostic and radiological services
- Medical emergency, poststabilization care and urgent care services
- Medical supplies and equipment
- Medication therapy management (MTM) services
- Medical transportation
- Mental health services, including diagnostic assessment and testing, crisis assessment and intervention, day treatment or partial hospitalization, individual and family group therapy, inpatient and outpatient treatment, neuropsychological assessment and rehab, medication management and targeted case management
- Nursing home services (the health plan will pay for 100 days for people admitted from the community; additional days will be paid by MA fee-for-service coverage)
- Obstetrics and gynecological services
- Outpatient hospital services
- Physician services
- Podiatry services
- Preadmission screening (PAS) and OBRA Level 1 (NF)
- Prescription and over-the-counter drugs not covered by Medicare Part B or D
- Prosthetic and orthotic devices
- Psychiatric residential treatment facility
- Public health services
- Reconstructive surgery
- Regional treatment center services (under certain circumstances)
- Rehabilitation and therapeutic services (PT, OT, RT and ST)
- Transplants
- Treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
- Tuberculosis-related services
- Vaccines and immunizations
- Vision care
If you have specific questions, call the Disability Hub MN at 866-333-2466 or the SNBC health plans available in your county for more details.
Services continued through MA fee-for-service or through your county or tribe
Services:
- Abortion services, as allowed by state and federal law
- Child welfare targeted case management
- Circumcision for newborns, as allowed by state law
- Individual education plan (IEP) and individual family service plan (IFSP) services
- Intermediate care facility for people with developmental disabilities (ICF-DD) services
- Long-term-care coordination (LTCC)
- Nursing home services (after the first 100 days, which are paid for by the health plan)
- OBRA Level 2 assessments
- Personal care assistance (PCA) services
- Home care nursing (HCN)
- Relocation service coordination (RSC)
- Vulnerable adult-developmental disability (VADD) targeted case management
- Waiver services, including Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Brain Injury (BI-NF, BI-NB) and Developmental Disabilities (DD) program services
Is there a cost for SNBC?
If you have a spenddown or MA-EPD premium, you must pay it to keep your MA coverage. If you have Medicare Part D, you still must pay Part D copays.

There is no cost for the SNBC program. Some members even save money because there are:
- No copays for MA-covered services, prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs (but you still have to pay your Medicare Part D copays)
- No health plan premiums, deductibles or copays
Will I have to change my providers if I join SNBC?
It depends. You will not have to change providers if all your providers are part of an SNBC health plan network.

You will not have to change providers for the following services, which will be paid through MA fee-for-service coverage:
- Personal care assistance (PCA) services
- Home care nursing
- Brain Injury (BI) waiver services
- Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver services
- Community Alternative Care (CAC) Waiver services
- Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver services
What if I have Medicare?

In addition to providing MA benefits, some SNBC health plans integrate Medicare Parts A, B and D for members who have that coverage.

Currently, Medica, PrimeWest Health, South Country Health Alliance and UCare offer an option to combine your Medicare and MA into a single package of coverage. These plans are available in many counties in greater Minnesota. To learn more about the integrated coverage, contact Medica, PrimeWest, South Country or UCare, whichever is available in your county.
How do I opt out of the program or disenroll after I joined?
If you have been asked to choose an SNBC health plan, it is optional. If you don't want to enroll, you can opt out of the program by completing the opt out form (DHS-6451) (PDF).

If you are in SNBC, you can disenroll at any time, to be effective the first of the next month.
- If you only have only MA through SNBC, you can call your health plan or the Disability Hub MN at 866-333-2466 and tell them you want to disenroll. Or you can send a signed letter to your health plan stating that you want to disenroll.
- If you have a combined MA and Medicare package through PrimeWest or South Country Health Alliance, you must mail a signed letter to the health plan stating that you want to disenroll from SNBC.
What are my rights and responsibilities while enrolled in SNBC?
Contact us
- For questions about SNBC health plan choices or enrolling, call the Disability Hub MN at 866-333-2466, or send an email to disabilityhubmn.org.
- For questions about SNBC health care providers or services, contact the SNBC health plans.
- For questions about assignment of a care coordinator or case manager assignment, call your SNBC health plan.